The Twelve Days of Christmas
by Faith Donovan
Summary: An admirer is determined to win Carlotta's heart at Christmas.
1. Prologue

Being the avid _Phantom of the Opera_ fan that I am, I have decided to write my first Christmas _Phantom_ fic, and seeing as Carlotta is my favorite character, she shall be my "first victim"!

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either, I just really really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. On with the story!

Carlotta sat in her dressing room in front of her large mirror brushing out her long curly auburn hair following one of the most successful opening nights of her career. The show had been _Tosca_, a role that she had dreamt of ever since she was a little girl. It was finally hers, and she had brought down the house and entranced the audience from the moment that she made her first entrance. She had received thirty-seven curtain calls – the largest number ever recorded in the history of the Paris Opera.

She had left the stage her eyes flooded with tears at the reception from her admirers, anxious to get to her dressing room and change for the fabulous opening night gala. Oh, how those wigs matted down her hair! She set down the brush and began to remove the heavy stage make-up before applying her every-day make-up. She was nearly finished when there was a knock at her door.

_Probably another adoring fan, _Carlotta thought to herself. Checking herself once again in the mirror, she addressed the visitor.

"Come in!" rang rich silvery soprano voice.

It was Ubaldo Piangi, the principal tenor of the Paris Opera. He had sung Mario opposite her Tosca and had also enjoyed a triumphant success. Ubaldo walked in with a bouquet of red roses.

"For you, Signora. You sang beautifully tonight, and it is a true honor to be working opposite you", he declared as he held the flowers out to her.

"Ubaldo!" she exclaimed, "They're beautiful! Grazie, mio caro, mille grazie!".

She took the flowers and thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. Ubaldo turned as red as the roses, but Carlotta did not see him blush; she was still gushing over her gift. He seemed to lose his voice for a moment but eventually found it.

"I was wondering, Signora, if you had an escort to this evening's gala... I, er, not that you wouldn't already have one, but in the event that you didn't, I was wondering if you, is to say, I was wondering if you would honor me once again this evening by allowing me to escort you…"

Carlotta smiled at the tenor. This was very unlike Ubaldo. What had gotten into him? Why was he stumbling so much over his words tonight, and why was he so nervous? They had attended opening night galas together for over two years now.

"Of course, Ubaldo. Just give me a minute to go and get my coat and put these in some water".

She turned and disappeared through a door in her dressing room and re-emerged three minutes later wearing a fabulous coat and carrying a crystal vase with the roses..

Ubaldo held out his arm and she graciously accepted it.

"My, aren't you charming tonight, Signor Piangi?"

Ubaldo smiled at the prima donna and said nothing as he escorted her out the door.


	2. The First Day of Christmas

Being the avid _Phantom of the Opera_ fan that I am, I have decided to write my first Christmas _Phantom_ fic, and seeing as Carlotta is my favorite character, she shall be my "first victim"!

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either, I just really really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. On with the story!

Carlotta returned to the Opera House, her escort at her side, around two in the morning, her mind filled with wonderful thoughts and memories of a fabulous day and a wonderful party. It had been the perfect ending to the perfect day.

As they made her way up the stairs to her grand suite, she couldn't help but feel as giddy as a schoolgirl. Perhaps it was the champagne that she had consumed, but she felt like was floating on air. She had had a glorious evening, and Ubaldo had been the perfect companion. He had never behaved quite so eloquently, and she had regaled at his company.

Carlotta stuck her hand in her purse to search for the key to her suite, and in trying to find her key and musing about Ubaldo in the dark staircase, she missed a step. Ubaldo's arms were there immediately around her waist to catch her fall, and Carlotta found that she let herself go. She looked up at him and their eyes met, and it was as if nothing else mattered and the rest of the world had ceased. She gazed into his brown eyes, transfixed and mesmerized by their power, and could not will herself to break the contact.

They stood transfixed in each other's eyes for what seemed to be an eternity, until finally, Ubaldo leaned in and gently kissed her. Carlotta seemed to be temporarily paralyzed at first, and then finally her body responded and she returned his kiss.

It was pure heaven, and Carlotta could not remember the last time that anybody had ever made her feel like that. Ubaldo's touch was warm, gentle, and sincerely loving. She was suddenly happier than she had ever been in her entire life, even happier than when she was singing on stage or receiving an ovation. This moment was what she had truly lived for.

Suddenly, Ubaldo broke their bond.

"I apologize, Signora! I do not know what came over me… surely I have had too much to drink!"

Carlotta stared back at him not knowing what to say. Her mind was a jumbled mess. He had kissed her because he had had too much to drink, and not because he felt anything? Surely he did feel something… she had felt it, and a woman is never wrong in what she feels and sense from a man. She felt tears start to prick the back of her eyes and she jerked herself out of his arms, which were still holding her up from her fall and looked down at her hands, which contained the key to her suite.

Ubaldo spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Signora, I-"

"Get away from here!" she snapped at him as she turned to open her door.

Ubaldo stood in his place frozen.

"I SAID GET AWAY FROM HERE!"

Ubaldo longed to explain himself, but he dared not anger the prima donna further. He started to back away immediately and turned and headed to his own suite, which was down the hall, as he once again offered his sincerest apologies.

As soon as Carlotta was inside her suite, she set herself free to her emotions, and within seconds, she was sobbing. She was sobbing her heart out, sobbing as she never had before in her life.

She felt betrayed. She was sure that she had felt love in Ubaldo's kiss, but he had said that it had been an accident. She flung her purse halfway across the room and heard something shatter, but she didn't care. She felt as if her heart had been shattered.

She crossed her room and opened the door that led to her dressing room as she continued to try to make sense of her erratic thoughts. The battle to have her suite connected to her dressing room had been long a go been won, and she basked in the convenience of her victory.

Carlotta had never been wrong about a man in all of her life. Why did she care so much about the exchange with Ubaldo? She didn't feel a thing for Ubaldo except admiration and respect as an artist and sincere friendship. She couldn't, for she was already in an intense and passionate love affair with her career, and the career would permit nothing and no one else to enter into the picture.

Why did this matter so much?

_It is probably the champagne_, Carlotta told herself.

Just then, she noticed a package on her vanity table. It hadn't been there earlier before she left for the party. Had she seen it earlier, she would have opened it.

She made her way to the table and wiped the tears from her eyes.

_Get over it, Carlotta!_, she scolded herself. _Get over it or you will have puffy eyes tomorrow._

The package was small and perfectly wrapped in red and gold paper with a beautiful red bow on top. There was an envelops with the package.

_A bit early for Christmas presents, it is only December the 14th_.

She opened the envelope first.

_My dearest Carlotta:_

_You sang like an angel tonight. You light up my world,_

_and I cannot remain silent any longer. I love you, Carlotta,_

_I have loved you since the first time I watched you walk onto _

_the stage and heard you sing your first note. If you give me _

_the chance, I will love you forever. _

_Please accept these as a small token of my love. I know that_

_You will put them to good use being the avid writer that you _

_are._

_Always,_

_Your Secret Admirer_

Carlotta opened the package and inside found a journal with gold quills and expensive imported ink. She was totally speechless. There were very few that knew of her passion for writing, but none of them would ever spend this much money on a quill, let alone ink!

She grabbed for the note again, determined to figure out the identity of her secret admirer from the handwriting, but an hour later, she had committed the note to memory but found herself no closer to figuring out the identity of the secret admirer.

Sleep eventually consumed Carlotta right there in her dressing room, and when it finally did, she went to sleep with her head resting on her new journal, its first few pages brimming with questions and thoughts about her admirer.


	3. The Second Day of Christmas

Being the avid _Phantom of the Opera_ fan that I am, I have decided to write my first Christmas _Phantom_ fic, and seeing as Carlotta is my favorite character, she shall be my "first victim"!

I just realized that I wrote "Paris Opera" in one of the previous chapters but it's always referred to as the Opera Populaire… oh well…

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either, I just really really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. On with the story!

Carlotta awoke the following morning to the sound of banging on her door.

"Signora Giudicelli! It is ten o'clock, Signora Giudicelli; you have an interview to give!"

It was Monsieur Firmin, one of the two managers of the Opera Populaire.

"Signora, please!"

Carlotta let the banging continue for a few minutes before standing up. Her head was pounding and she was in no mood for an interview. She made her way to the door and swung it open, only to be smacked in he face by Firmin, who was in such a state that he did not realize that the door had opened.

"Ugh!"

"Signora Giudicelli, I am so sorry!"

Carlotta mumbled something in Italian.

"Monsieur Firmin, I apologize, but I will **not** be giving an interview today. I am not feeling well."

Firmin paled.

"What's the matter Signora? May I get you anything? Do you need anything? Will you be better by tonight's performance?"

Carlotta's eyes narrowed as the events of the prior evening flooded back into her memory.

"I will be all right so long as I am not disturbed. Good day, Monsieur."

With that, she slammed her door in Firmin's face and returned to her rooms.

Five minutes later, Ubaldo Piangi slammed his own door in Firmin's face and demanded to be left alone as well.

Rumors about La Carlotta were flying all through the opera house. Some said that she had received a ghastly review in a paper and that was why she refused to leave the confines of her suite; others said that she was not in her suite at all and had abandoned the production. There were even those that said that she had had a lover's quarrel with Piangi. That particular rumor didn't last long, however, for Piangi (who did finally decide to leave his own suite) decked a chorus member in the jaw upon hearing it for spreading lies. La Carlotta was a mean and vicious woman, he declared, and he would have to be mad to be in a relationship with her.

A half hour before curtain, more and more people began to panic about Carlotta. She had been silent the entire day – not one outrageous demand, not one flying object, not one insult, nothing.

Suddenly, the door to her dressing room flew open and Carlotta was barking orders right and left. She was colder and more unsympathetic than usual. Within five minutes, those who could avoid Carlotta were avoiding here, and new rumors started to circulate; this time, the rumors all concentrated on flaws in her performance.

Just before making her first entrance, one of the rumors reached Carlotta's ears, and she silenced it with a backhand blow to a ballet rat's mouth. The girl ran from the wings crying and dripping blood, for her lip had been cut by rings on Carlotta's hand, but Carlotta was indifferent.

Tosca's anger and fury was intensified during the first two acts, as was her jealousy in the first act. Carlotta was still furious at Ubaldo, and Ubaldo was still furious at Carlotta. There was a hint of softness trying to come out of Ubaldo occasionally, but Carlotta's behavior seemed to make the softness disappear instantly.

Upon returning to her dressing room during the intermission before the third and final act of _Tosca_, Carlotta discovered another package and envelope in her dressing room. This package was silver and green and the wrappings themselves boasted elegance.

She picked up the card.

_Day 2: Sweets for my sweet._

_How comes it now, my love, oh how comes it_

_that thou are thus estranged from thyself?_

_Ah, do not tear away thyself from me! _

_For know, my love, as easy mayst thou fall _

_a drop of water in the breaking gulf, _

_and take unmingled thence that drop again _

_without addition of diminishing, _

_as take from me thyself and not me too. _

She set the card down and opened the package. Inside laid a box of fine truffles.

Truffles and Shakespeare. She instantly turned around and looked around the room in search of her admirer. She saw no one.

It was surely one of her usual admirers, she thought, only how had they managed to get things to her dressing room? Someone who worked at the opera house had unquestionably brought them to her dressing room when she was performing. There was no other explanation.

But who could it possibly be?

Just then, a stage hand knocked politely on her door.

"Five minutes, Signora Giudicelli".

Carlotta looked at the boy and for the first time that day, she smiled.

"Thank you, my dear".

The boy nodded in appreciation and scurried off, certainly surprised that Carlotta had not yelled at him or thrown an object at his head considering her usual temperament and her mood that day.

Carlotta looked at the chocolates and at the journal. Her eyes then came to rest on the roses that Ubaldo had brought her the night before.

Could it be Ubaldo?

She froze.

Could Ubaldo be the secret admirer? He had certainly been acting funny the night before. But what about the kiss? He had denied that it had meant anything. _Ah, but he had a lot to drink, Lotta, as did **you**, _said the nagging voice in the back of her mind._ Could it be that he did not know how you would react, so he claimed that it was an accident, and you blew up because **you** had had too much to drink?_

"Oh my goodness… Ubaldo!" she cried out.

How could she have been so blind? Of course it was Ubaldo! Of course he loved her! She had sensed it, no? And Carlotta had never been wrong about a man in her life. It had to be Ubaldo. There was no other option.

The giddiness from the night before filled her once again. How could she have ever doubted him? Oh, Ubaldo… Ubaldo, Ubaldo, Ubaldo! The man set her soul on fire. She had to find him before going back on stage; she had to find him to tell him that she loved him too.

Carlotta left her dressing room in such a rush that she nearly ran over a ballet rat. Ubaldo made his entrance from stage left, she knew, so that was where he would surely now be.

As Carlotta went to stage left, she heard a loud giggle and saw one of the chorus girls with her arms wrapped around someone, and she was kissing him so hard that she appeared to be sucking his face off. She stood transfixed by the gratuitous scene until the chorus girl withdrew her head to take a breath, and when she did so, Carlotta almost fainted.

The man that the girl was practically devouring was Ubaldo.

That night when Tosca leapt to her death, she took all of Carlotta with her, body, soul, and heart.


	4. The Third Day of Christmas

Being the avid _Phantom of the Opera_ fan that I am, I have decided to write my first Christmas _Phantom_ fic, and seeing as Carlotta is my favorite character, she shall be my "first victim"!

And I know it's been a bit depressing up until now, it'll get better, I promise.

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either, I just really really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. On with the story!

Carlotta awoke in a terrible state of depression the following morning. She was miserable from the moment she opened her eyes. Oh why could she not die as Tosca died! Then she would not have to endure all of this pain and anguish!

Sleep had been almost impossible to achieve. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Ubaldo with that chorus girl.

Why was he kissing that girl? Did he love her? Was he kissing that girl in the same fashion that he had kissed _her_? Had he taken it back afterwards?

She did not have the answer to any of the questions that her mind threw at her, and she spent hours pouring her soul out to her new journal while eating the chocolates. Surely her costumes would be a bit snugger tonight, but it didn't matter. She needed comfort.

She felt like a lovesick teenager and thought of nothing but Ubaldo no matter how hard she tried to think of other things.

Finally, around noon she decided to go out to lunch. She needed to get out of the opera house and find something to distract her. One her way out, however, she happened to see Ubaldo laughing in the company of the chorus girl. She bit the inside of her lip and hurried out the door, making sure to slam it behind her. She slammed it so hard that the glass shattered, yet she did not look back. Instead, she pressed forward with her head down in an attempt to mask the fresh tears on her cheeks.

She took out her handkerchief to dab her eyes and slammed into another body. She looked up briefly to see who it was and stopped when she realized that the body was familiar to her.

"Lotta?"

"Carmen?"

"Lotta! Where have you been keeping yourself! I barely see you anymore!"

It was her best friend, Carmen Barcellona.

"I've been busy with _Tosca_… that's all".

She couldn't bring herself to look at her friend in the eye for fear of breaking down.

"Lotta, something's bothering you".

"What ever makes you think that there's something bother--"

Carmen grabbed Carlotta's chin and lifted her head up and met her eyes. Carlotta's eyes instantly betrayed her, and Carmen gasped. She had not expected to run into her dear friend Carlotta, let alone in this state. She looked around.

"Come on Lotta… we're going to my place".

Carlotta put up no resistance as Carmen led her up the street to her apartment. Once they were safely inside, Carmen began to interrogate her, and Carlotta let it all out like a rushing wave. She did not stop until she had told Carmen every last detail, from the stumbling and stuttering before the gala to their passionate kiss, to their argument to the chorus girl. When she was finished, she felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Carlotta had never been one to spill her soul to another human being for fear that they would someday betray her and use it against her, for but the first time in her life, she felt that her secret was safe. She knew that Carmen would understand her heartache and not judge her.

Carmen held the prima donna as she cried, and she eventually fell asleep on the couch. Suddenly the door opened, and a tall, dark man with wavy brown hair and piercing green eyes walked in. As soon as he walked through the door, his eyes fell upon the woman on the couch, the woman of auburn curls in a beautiful green satin dress.

"What is she-"

"Lucio, _per favore_, she's going through a rough time, she-"

The sound of the voices woke Carlotta and she opened her eyes and laid eyes on the handsome man before her. She immediately sat up.

"Lucio…"

"Carlotta."

Silence. Finally, Lucio broke the silence.

"What have you been doing with yourself?"

"Same… still with the Opera Populaire… you?"

"Same. Still with the Monte Carlo Opera."

Another silence. This time it was Carlotta who broke the silence.

"Lucio, I'm sorry… I never meant to—"

"That's all ancient history, Carlotta. It doesn't matter anymore. Carmen, if you need me, I'll be with Giuseppi."

He turned and left. Carlotta sighed.

"You know, I really don't need this right now…"

"Don't pay any attention to him, Lotta… he's just-"

The door swung open again and Lucio walked back in.

"I changed my mind… Carmen, may I have a moment with Carlotta please?"

Carmen looked at Carlotta, who nodded, and she got up.

"I'll be across the hall at Musetta's."

She left, and Lucio stared at Carlotta and took her in. How different she looked after four years, yet she still looked the same. Her deep brown eyes were still full of life, and her auburn locks still glistened despite the lack of sunlight in the room. Her skin still had its beautiful olive complexion; her lips were still rubies.

Similarly, Carlotta stared back at Lucio and compared him to her last memory of him. His eyes, once shining bright like emeralds, seemed to have lost their shimmer. He looked tired, and his beautiful thick brown hair had a few silver hairs despite his youthful age.

Lucio took a seat next to Carlotta, and finally, she gathered up the courage to speak.

"I had to do what I felt I had to do, Lucio… I'm sorry. It had nothing to do with you… or how I felt about you."

"I never stopped loving you, Carlotta".

He took her hand in his and gazed into her eyes with the same gaze that he had looked at her before. The touch of his hand was familiar, and his smell put her at ease.

"Lucio, I-"

"Don't talk. Just feel."

Before she knew what had happened, Lucio had placed his lips on Carlotta's. She gave in for a quick second before pulling back and standing up from the couch.

'"Lucio, no! What happened, like you said, it is ancient history!"

"Carlotta, did you not hear what I said? I never stopped loving you! You walked out of me, Carlotta, you _left_ me; you _humiliated_ me… yet for some reason, _I never stopped loving you!_ Nothing happens without a reason, Lotta, don't you see? This is our chance! We deserve each other, we were made for each other! I love you!"

Carlotta was silent. These were words that she longed to hear. They were coming from the wrong man, and in her heart she knew that they were coming from the wrong man, but at that moment, something inside of her snapped, and she gave in.

"Oh Lucio…"

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply.

When she returned to the Opera Populaire, Carlotta Guidicelli was not the same broken woman who had left it four hours earlier. She was once again composed, cool, and bitchy, and confidence seemed to flow out of her every step.

She also arrived on the arm of Lucio Barcellona, one of France's most renowned and beloved baritones. As soon as the couple was spotted, reporters swarmed them, and Carlotta and Lucio had to pry them to actually get into the Opera House.

Once inside, Lucio turned to Carlotta.

"I will see you later tonight then, after the show, my dear", he said before kissing her and leaving.

Carlotta watched him go, her mind temporarily at ease. She was lost in her own personal musings, and as she turned to go to her dressing room to prepare for that evening's performance, she ran into Ubaldo.

Their eyes met briefly, but Carlotta quickly shifted her eyes.

"Carlotta, can we please talk?"

"Of course we may talk, Signor Piangi. We may always talk."

She continued on to her dressing room and walked in with Ubaldo behind her. As soon as she laid eyes on the third package, she forgot that Ubaldo had followed her into her dressing room.

"Oh, another one!"

She picked up the envelope eagerly and took out the card.

_My dearest Carlotta:_

_By now you must surely be going mad with thoughts about_

_who I am. I will not reveal my identity to you until December_

_the 25th, but know that I am with you and watch you_

_and your elegance and grace from afar every day. My dream is that_

_you will return my love._

_I think you'll find today's gift to your enjoyment; I believe you_

_once mentioned your particular fondness for pearls. You don't have_

_nearly enough pearls._

_Your Secret Admirer_

"Pearls?"

She opened the package and inside found the most beautiful pearl necklace she had ever seen.


	5. The Fourth Day of Christmas

Being the avid _Phantom of the Opera_ fan that I am, I have decided to write my first Christmas _Phantom_ fic, and seeing as Carlotta is my favorite character, she shall be my "first victim"!

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either, I just really really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. On with the story!

Her _Tosca_ was hailed as the best ever. Her singing was the most moving that anyone had ever heard, and her acting was heart wrenching.

Carlotta had Lucio to thank for it all. He had brought order back to her chaotic mind, and he was someone who she knew would, unlike Ubaldo, be there for her.

As she made her way to her dressing room for her fourth performance of _Tosca_, she couldn't but wait with anticipation the gift that she was sure would be there awaiting her arrival. First the exquisite journal, then the chocolates, then chocolates, then pearls?

She had told Lucio after the last performance that as much as she loved them, it wasn't necessary for him to keep showering her with the extravagant gifts. He had looked at her funny and had claimed to not know what she was talking about.

She turned the knob to her dressing room and the first thing that hit her was the scent of fresh-cut roses. Her dressing room had been filled with beautiful bouquets of bright red roses. She gasped as she walked in.

How had Lucio managed this?

She spotted the card on her vanity.

_Like stepping on the air so blindly  
I trust you will be there to find me  
Like reaching through the blue  
I place my faith in you  
I do believe  
These tender hearts of ours  
May be endlessly naive  
But we grow strong if we believe  
This fragile world of ours  
Spins us off into the storm  
Hold on to me and I'll be warm  
As roses bend through breeze, unbend me  
As the rose bends to the sun  
And in the darkness, please defend me  
Two in love become as one  
As waves lean on the sea, my love come lean on me  
I do believe in you_

_Love ,_

_Your Secret Admirer_

_P.S. Remember, mia Cara… I am closer than you think._

Carlotta pressed the card to her bosom. It was so beautiful. She was suddenly so confused. This person, this admirer, he seemed to understand her in a way that no one else did; not even while engaged had Lucio written her anything so romantic, let alone said anything so poetic.

How could Lucio be its author? He just couldn't… but it **had **to be, she told herself, it just had to be!

She sighed.

She had always been the type who thought that she was in love with any one who paid her the smallest bit of attention.

And then there was Lucio. He had entered into her life at a moment when she had been particularly vulnerable and he had pulled her out of her depression and helped her move forward with both her career and her personal life. Finally she had reached the point where she felt that he was holding her back, and she had left him.

She had come to Paris and to the Opera Populaire, where she had immediately risen to the role of leading soprano, and it seemed that nothing could ever stop her.

And then she met Ubaldo. There was something about him that made the girl inside of her blush at his mere presence. She had fought her heart for over a year until she was convinced that she felt nothing for him, but that kiss…

That kiss had awakened Carlotta's deepest and darkest thoughts and desires. Ubaldo's kiss was so different from Lucio's. Lucio's kiss was filled with passion, while Ubaldo's had been filled with passion and sincerity and love, not just carnal desire.

Oh, what was she to do?

Before Carlotta could peruse the matter any farther, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in".

The door swung open, and there stood Ubaldo., and Carlotta did not manage to raise her personal shield fast enough.

"Yes?" she said when she finally found her voice.

"Just came to see how you're doing…"

Carlotta looked down.

"I'm good… you?"

"Same… listen, Carlotta, that's not why I'm here, we both know why I'm here…"

"_Per favore_, Ubaldo, not now, I have a lot on my mind…"

"_Si_, Carlotta, **now**. We have to talk about what happened... you've been distant ever since… I'm sorry for my behavior, what else can I say?"

_You can tell me that you love me_, she found herself thinking, and she gasped out loud.

"Cara? Are you all right Cara?"

Suddenly Carlotta looked terrified, more terrified than she's been in a long time. She looked at Ubaldo.

"Please, Ubaldo, _per favore_, please go… I can't…"

"You can't what, Cara?"

'"I- he - "

"Who? That guy you walked in with last night? Who is he?"

"Luiciano Barcellona, hey, what's it to you?"

"Well I see how you look at Yvette-"

"Who?"

"Chorus girl".

Carlotta made a sound.

"What does _that_ mean? What do you have against Yvette?"

"What do _you_ have against Lucio?"

Just then, Lucio walked in.

"Carlotta?"

Carlotta let out a small shriek.

"What is it, my dear?" asked Lucio as he approached Carlotta and put his arms around her from behind. Carlotta was instantly uncomfortable and released herself from his grip.

"Nothing, _caro_, nothing… you scared me… that's all…"

Lucio stared at Ubaldo.

"Ubaldo Piangi", said Ubaldo.

"Luiciano Barcellona", said Lucio.

The two men glared at each other, and their instant mutual loathing was obvious. Ubaldo was the first to move.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to go get in costume. I'll see you later, Lotta".

With that he left Carlotta and Lucio by themselves in her dressing room, but her had not gone far when he heard the one-sided shouting.

"Who was that?"

"Ubaldo".

'I don't give a damn who that was, _who **is** he_!"

"He's the principal tenor".

"A **tenor**, no least! What was he doing, Carlotta? What were **you** doing!"

Lucio's voice only kept escalating in volume, while Carlotta's remained at the same volume. She began making her way through her dressing room to get ready.

"I do not appreciate you interrogating me in this fashion, Lucio".

"I don't give a **damn** whether you **appreciate** it or not, Carlotta, there's something I don't like that man, and I **forbid** you to be alone with him again!"

"You forbid **me**?"

Carlotta started to laugh.

"You forget who you're speaking to. I'll do as I please. You can't forbid me to do anything."

With that, Lucio lunged at Carlotta and grabbed her by the wrists and pinned her up against the wall.

"You will do **as** I say **when** I say, _hija putana_, **or else!**"

At that moment, Ubaldo, who had heard everything, could remain silent no longer.

"Let her go! NOW!"

Lucio turned his head and saw Ubaldo standing in the doorway. He flung Carlotta to the floor by the wrists and lunged at Ubaldo.

Being a rather hefty tenor, it was not long until Ubaldo had managed to pin Lucio to the floor. In the meantime, he had also yelled for security, and they had come, and as soon as they had, he had rushed over to Carlotta.

She was unconscious.


	6. The Fifth Day of Christmas

Being the avid _Phantom of the Opera_ fan that I am, I have decided to write my first Christmas _Phantom_ fic, and seeing as Carlotta is my favorite character, she shall be my "first victim"!

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either, I just really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. On with the story!

Carlotta awoke in a bed lined with green and gold velvet. She looked around and realized that the bed was not hers, and that she had no idea where she was. She then saw Ubaldo's body on the other side of the room and as she painfully breathed in, she smelled the scent of his cologne.

She was without a doubt in Ubaldo's bed – but why was she in Ubaldo's bed? And what had happened? She breathed in again and this time began to cough immediately.

Ubaldo horridly walked over to her and took her hand in his.

"Good morning, _mia_ Cara".

"Ubaldo… what am I… why does… it hurts when I breathe…"

Ubaldo nodded.

"You took quite a tumble… rather you were _given_ quite a tumble… you had a concussion and you have a few bruised ribs from what you landed on… it's a miracle that he didn't break your wrists."

Carlotta looked down at the sheets.

"Cara, who _is_ that man?"

Silence.

"Please."

Carlotta sighed.

"Luciano Barcellona was my fiancé before I came to the Opera Populaire".

"WHAT!"

"Ubaldo, _per favore_… we've been through a lot, he-"

"Don't you dare defend him, Carlotta! He pinned you up against a wall and then hurled you to the floor!"

Carlotta was silent.

"The doctor thinks that it's best if you just rest for the next few days… I brought you here because you rooms were swarming with people and I figured you could at least get some rest over here seeing as no one's going to look for you here."

She looked up at Ubaldo.

"Thank you".

Ubaldo nodded and stood up.

"Something was in your dressing room early this morning… I took the liberty of bringing it to you seeing as you won't be going anywhere any time soon…"

He kneeled and when he came back up again, he held a basket with a black toy poodle inside and an envelope taped to the basket.

"Oh!"

"I couldn't just leave him there… plus I think he'll help you feel better sooner…"

"Oh, he's adorable!"

Ubaldo placed the dog in Carlotta's outstretched arms as if he were a doctor handing a new mother her newborn son. After a few moments, he reminded her that she had a card.

"Oh… read it to me, _caro_, read it to me…"

Ubaldo opened the envelope carefully and eyed the card before reading it aloud.

"My beloved Carlotta… it pains me deeply to see you in this state, unable to move and confined to your suite. How I shall miss you on the stage tonight. Remember always that you need not search outside your own four falls for the true love that you seek. Hopefully Figaro here will be able to protect you from attacks in my absence. Love always, Your Secret Admirer".

Carlotta closed her eyes as she smiled.

"Your Secret Admirer? You have a secret admirer?"

"Si… some men **do** find me attractive, you know".

"I don't doubt that for a moment, Signora… any clues as to who it may be?"

"A few… but for now I'm going to keep my theories to myself… thank you, Ubaldo. For everything."

Ubaldo nodded once again.

"No… I mean it. I haven't been honest with you, Ubaldo… I've been a total prick ever since opening night, and I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Cara-"

"No, it's not okay! I've been downright nasty to you, and I'm sorry. I had too much to drink and I jumped to conclusions after that night and I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you. You're my dearest and closest friend, Ubaldo."

Ubaldo gazed into Carlotta's eyes. He understood.


	7. The Sixth Day of Christmas

Thank you to my reviewers!

**OperaDove**: Thank you so much! I have been toying with the idea of writing about Cara for a while now and finally decided to do it!

**The Mouse in the Opera House:** Ah, but that would be revealing plot too early, would it not? Hehe. Rest assured, Erik is not her secret admirer… but he will be in the story before I type "The End".

I realized after I had written four chapters that my timeline is messed up… this is before the musical takes place and thus before Monsieurs Andre & Firmin, yet I mentioned them several times… just ignore that… I have a thing about messing up timelines whenever I write my stories…

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either, I just really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I'm going through another "Scarlet Pimpernel" phase right now, so more lyrics from that show might pop up here… oh, right, and I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. Onward ho!

Carmen Barcellona made her way down a fancy corridor of the Opera Populaire as her mind raced with thoughts. She had to speak to Carlotta. Word of Lucio's attack had reached her. It had reached all of France, actually, and probably stretched beyond France into Spain, Italy, and Germany.

She found Carlotta's suite and started banging on the door.

"Carlotta! Lotta, it's Carmen, open up!"

No response.

"Carlotta! Please! Lotta, it's me, Carmen!"

A tall thin woman dressed in black with a bun atop of her head approached. She carried a cane.

"Signora Giudicelli is not here at the moment".

Carmen spun around.

"I'm sorry about the noise… I'm Carmen Barcellona. Carlotta is my best friend… I just heard about what happened… please, I _need_ to speak with her."

Madame Giry stared at the woman and decided that she was telling the truth.

"Come with me", she ordered.

She proceeded to lead Carmen down the hall to Ubaldo's suite.

"Your name is Barcellona".

"Yes ma'am… please do not hold it against me".

"Do not be long. Signora Giudicelli needs her rest".

Carmen nodded and Mme. Giry knocked on the door.

"Signora? You have a guest."

Ubaldo opened the door seconds later.

_I can see why she's so taken by this man_, thought Carmen.

"Yes, Mme. Giry?"

"Mlle. Barcellona for Signora Giudicelli, Signor."

Ubaldo turned red with anger.

"Barcel—"

Carlotta's voice rang out.

"It's okay, Ubaldo…Carmen, is that you, Carmen?"

Carmen ducked inside the suite and left Ubaldo with Mme. Giry and went over to the bed where her friend lay.

"Lotta! I'm so sorry, Lotta! I never thought that he would have—"

"It's all right, Carmen… what's passed is past… besides," she lowered her voice, "I cannot lie and say that being under Ubaldo's care is unwelcome."

She glanced over at Ubaldo with a smile. Carmen giggled at her friend's words.

"Lotta, be serious…"

"I **am**…"

"Well, truth be told, I can see why you're so taken by him… relax, Lotta…"

Carlotta continued to gaze ad Ubaldo longingly.

"He's been arrested, you know… Lucio".

"Carmen, no offense, but if I never hear your brother's name again, I won't pretend that I care."

Carmen was silent.

"You know, it's really great of you to be here, Carmen, after everything…"

"You're my best friend, Lotta… what happened between you and my brother has nothing to do with our friendship. I just can't believe that he attacked you… I've always known that he's a bit disturbed, but I didn't know to what extent."

"Ubaldo saved me."

"Yes, so I hear… Lotta, what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what are you going to do?"

"Oh I don't know… for the time being, just rest. Resting with Ubaldo helps me get my thoughts in order. You should try it sometime…"

Both friends burst out into giggles.

"You know what I meant, Carmen…"

She sighed.

"I should never have gotten back together with Lucio… what's worse, I _knew_ that I shouldn't have, but I was so hurt, so angry… I guess I had it coming. Lucio was going to realize it sooner or later… better sooner than later, I suppose."

"Lotta…"

"You know I'm right… it's all right… you can say it. I know what I did, and I know it was wrong… and look at where it landed me.."

"Meanwhile, you said yourself that being under Piangi's watchful eye wasn't altogether a bad thing…"

"He's wonderful, Carmen, he's just so _wonderful_… he's sweet and thoughtful, caring, warm… why on earth did I get back together with Lucio… oh, what was I thinking?"

"You weren't."

"And you know that this isn't going to stay like this, not with him, he may be in jail but he's eventually going to get out and when he does, there's no doubt in my mind that he's going to come looking for me, and--".

"And if he does, I'll take him out again", said Ubaldo, who had just returned from his conversation with Mme. Giry.

Carlotta gave Carmen a look and tried to hide her broadening smile.

"Well, I should go… leave you two alone… to talk and rest and such…"

They quickly said their goodbyes and Carmen left the suite, leaving Carlotta and Ubaldo alone. Carlotta sighed and leaned back into the soft downy pillow. She was tired of doing nothing, yet she did not have the energy to get up and go about her usual business.

Carmen had just left when the door popped open a second later and she stuck her head back in.

"Lotta, you've got a package out here…"

She brought Carlotta the package and left.

Another package? This was the sixth one! Carlotta could not hide her exuberance, and she eagerly grabbed for the card and tore the envelope open to read its contents.

_Carlotta,_

_Your brown eyes are pools in which I long to swim,_

_Your lips are rubies which I long to kiss;_

_Watch out, my love, and be wary of him, _

_He who would try to disperse us from bliss. _

Carlotta almost swooned as she read the card. Each card was sweeter than the one before it. This admirer, whoever he was, was the most romantic person that she had ever met! (In a sense…)

She opened her gift and was delighted to find a new mink coat. Ubaldo watched as she fawned over it like a little girl. This was certainly a different Carlotta from the one that he was used to; he was used to a cold and domineering woman who could outdo her tremendous voice only with her outrageous demands. Yet here, in the confines of his suite, she seemed at peace and at complete ease. She was certainly an amazing woman.

Carlotta set the card down on the bed as she further examined her mink, and Ubaldo glanced down at the card and read it. He let out a big sigh.

"What is it, _caro_?" she asked.

"It's nothing, Lotta… nothing at all" he lied.

_If only **I** had the courage to speak such words to Carlotta Giudicelli_.


	8. The Seventh Day of Christmas

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either; I just really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I'm going through another "Scarlet Pimpernel" phase right now, so more lyrics from that show might pop up here… oh, right, and I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. Onward ho!

The following day, December 20th, brought for Carlotta the release from her medical leave. As thrilled as she was to be able to get up and move about and return to _Tosca_, a part of her was sad to leave Ubaldo's side.

_He is just a man!_ She told herself. _Only a man! You cannot let your thoughts be dominated by this man!_

She went for a stroll in the gardens of the Opera Populaire.

_You have got to stop this, Carlotta… you cannot allow yourself to get lost in thoughts of this man… what will become of your music if you allow him to consume your every thought? No, it cannot be, it **must** not be!_

She turned the corner and found herself face to face with Yvette de la Coeur, the chorus girl that she had seen Ubaldo kissing. The girl had long blond hair and a pointy nose. Carlotta did not find her pretty to look at.

"_You_ seem to be back on your feet rather quickly", she said.

"I had an excellent caretaker".

Yvette glared at Carlotta. This was going to get ugly, and fast.

"You think you're so perfect with your soprano voice… you're nothing but a has-been, and the sooner you realize that, the happier we'll all be!"

"Yvette…"

"Don't you "Yvette" _me_, you toad! Don't think I don't see the way you look at him, you ham, you stay away from him, he's MINE!"

Carlotta felt the anger rush to her head.

"Now you listen to me, you little **_whore_**,--"

"Go back to hell where you came from, you old wart-hog!"

Carlotta couldn't take it any longer and slapped the girl so hard that she was knocked to her knees. She looked down at the floor and at the girl in tears.

"You will watch your tongue! Surely Madame Giry has taught you better than to insult a _prima donna_! She will no doubt find this of interest".

With that, Carlotta strode off back into the Opera House leaving Yvette in a pile on the floor. She returned to her suite to find a seventh package outside her door. She quickly ducked inside and tore open the envelope.

_Cara mia,_

_It gives me such delight to see that you are well again._

_I look forward to your performance tonight._

_Your voice is the sweetest sound on the planet,_

_Your touch the softest, your face the loveliest._

_I count the days until I can take you in my arms_

_and make you mine. Until then, I shall make love _

_to you only in my dreams. Come and wake me, _

_come be the love I can hold now. _

_Show me the way to stop dreaming._

_Your Secret Admirer._

Carlotta set the card down and caught her breath. It was by far the most erotic of the notes that she had received, and ordinarily, she would have been appalled and a little frightened seeing as she did not the origin of the writings, but there was something about that writing… there was something that was very familiar to her, that somehow seemed safe, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She finally remembered that the card had come with a tiny gift, and when she opened it, she found a pair of the most gorgeous jewel-encrusted earrings that she had ever laid her eyes upon.

"Oh won't you _please_ reveal yourself? I'm dying to know who you are!"

She sighed and set the earrings down. Who could this person possibly be? It couldn't be Lucio – he was in jail, and she had given up all hope that it was Ubaldo; after all, he had been there with her when the previous two gifts had arrived.

Carlotta sighed again and re-read the card. She was falling head-over-heels in love with her secret-admirer. She made her way over to the couch and collapsed in it, her mind spinning with dreams. Sleep eventually overtook her, but when it did, her mind continued to dream about her secret-admirer.


	9. The Eighth Day of Christmas

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either; I just really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I'm going through another "Scarlet Pimpernel" phase right now, so more lyrics from that show might pop up here… oh, right, and I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. Onward ho!

The following day passed so rapidly for Carlotta that when she retired to her dressing room at 7 that evening to get ready for the show, she was unsure of where the day had gone. She had risen before 6 that morning and had been on the go since then; her injury had thrown off her schedule of appearances and she had several interviews and photo appearances to make, and she spent the entire day catching up.

She was exhausted by the time she returned to the Opera House and put up no fight as one of her maids did her make-up for the evening's performance. As she sat in front of her vanity trying to concentrate on Tosca and get in character, her eyes spotted that day's paper on her table. Lucio's picture was on the front cover, and she snatched the paper up with such frenzy that her maid poked her in the eye with the eyeliner.

"Signora, I am so sorry!"

Carlotta ignored the apology and her watering eye.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed, "No, it cannot be, it cannot be! _It must not be_!"

She dropped the paper and snatched up the phone and could not control her breathing. Just then, there came a loud pounding on the door and Carmen burst in.

"Carlotta!"

Carlotta dropped the phone and spun around, her eyes wide with terror.

"Leave me", she said to her maid.

"But Signora-"

"I said leave me!"

The maid left and Carmen turned to Carlotta.

"I was just calling you, Carmen… didn't I tell you this would happen!"

"Carlotta-"

"What am I going to do!"

"Carlotta-"

"What if he comes after me and-"

She felt a slap across her face.

"Carlotta! Get a hold of yourself! That's why I came, I just read the evening post, I came to warm you…"

"Carmen, he's going to come after me, I just know it! Why else would he have broken out!"

"Don't make me slap you again, Carlotta… listen, I just came to warn you and tell you to be careful… don't go anywhere by yourself, Lotta, please… I'm going to do my best to track him down… but please, please, please… promise me you'll keep yourself safe."

Carlotta stared at Carmen.

"I should never have said yes."

Carmen looked at Carlotta intently.

"Please be careful."

"I will."

Carmen started to leave.

"If you will, Carmen… I believe my maid to be in the hallway…"

Carmen opened the door and tripped on the eighth package from Carlotta's secret admirer.

"Lotta, you've got another one…"

"Hmm?"

"You've got another package…"

Carlotta stood up and walked over to the door and took the package from Carmen. She watched Carmen leave and upon seeing Carlotta's guest leave, the maid returned to Carlotta's service.

As her maid finished her make-up, Carlotta sat motionless, the package sitting unopened in her lap with the card. When the maid moved to her hair, she allowed herself to open the card.

_Carlotta darling,_

_Allow me to present you here, on the 8th day of Christmas,_

_with something that I know warms your heart greatly. _

_You must be patient, my love, four more days, and then_

_I shall reveal myself to you._

_Your every look makes my heart take flight._

_Be patient, mia cara. We shall soon be together._

Your Secret Admirer 

Carlotta opened the package and squealed with delight. Inside lay a bottle of her favorite imported perfume.

"Signora?"

Carlotta ignored the maid. Her happiness, however, was cut short when her eyes saw the newspaper on the floor. Lucio had escaped from jail, and she feared that he would come after her. Oh, how she wished she knew the identity of her admirer? Perhaps he would be able to protect her from this genius turned madman!

She finished getting ready in a half-dazed state and went about her warm-up in an almost mechanical way. She could not take her mind off Lucio's escape.

Before she knew it, she was on stage making her first entrance and singing her most passionate Tosca yet to Ubaldo's most zealous Mario. Every word that she sang to him she meant – "Do you not long for our little house that is waiting for us, hidden in the grove? Tosca burns with a mad love! Tosca's blood burns with a mad love!" It was thrilling.

The rest of the performance only got better, and in the final scene, Carlotta sobbed over Ubaldo's lifeless body so much that she could barely get her words out. Her hands and her body trembled with sorrow, and by the time the performance had concluded, she felt drained of all her energy. Her performance was truly electrifying. At the end of the evening, she was greeted by a twenty-minute ovation.

She spotted by Ubaldo backstage once more with Yvette; the girl had her arms entwined around his neck and seemed to be whispering something into his ear. Perhaps that was not was Yvette was doing at all, but that's what Carlotta told herself that she was doing. She could not bring herself to accept the reality of the situation. She simply could not believe that Ubaldo was having a serious relationship with this girl.

Carlotta was the last in the cast to return to her dressing room to change, and upon doing so, she discovered a note taped upon her door.

_Speak to me again as you spoke before;_

_So sweet is the sound of your voice._

Carlotta paused. Those were the words that Mario sang to Tosca in Act III before being killed. Instead of seeing the beauty and the revelation contained within the note, however, she was blinded once more by pain, and she tore the note off the door and crumpled it. She flung her door open and slammed it behind her as she threw the note down on the floor.

As she took her costume and make-up off and changed into something more comfortable, her heart once again betrayed her head, and before she knew it or could control herself, she was once again sobbing.

Suddenly, she heard something rustling behind her. Had someone been in here the entire time? Had someone watched her breakdown?

"Who's there?"

No response.

Carlotta looked around. It wasn't Figaro – Figaro was curled up in front of the fireplace asleep.

"I said who's there!"

Still no response. Perhaps she had imagined it. Another sob escaped her lips and more tears followed.

"Oh, Baldo…_mio amore_… _why_ must you do this to me? I would sooner end my life with my own two hands than endure this suffering!"

She hears footsteps behind her, and then there came a voice.

"Do not turn around, Lotta… fear not, I will not harm you".

Carlotta was instantly paralyzed byte he voice. It was very familiar…

"Who are you?"

"Only few days time will tell you who I am, _cara_… but if you cannot wait until then, you need only look inside your heart, and there you will find me. Trust and believe in your heart, oh poor wand'ring one, for it will not lead you astray… now dry those beautiful brown eyes and remember: appearances are deceiving. Take care and be gentle with yourself."

Carlotta remained silent.

"Do not look so worried, my love… I shall not leave you until Tuesday; I shall visit you in your dreams until then."

Carlotta managed to find her voice.

"Please… won't you tell me who you are?"

"I am he who your heart most desires, Carlotta."

With that, the figure swept Carlotta's hair off the right side of her neck and kissed it before leaving.


	10. The Ninth Day of Christmas

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either; I just really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I'm going through another "Scarlet Pimpernel" phase right now, so more lyrics from that show might pop up here… oh, right, and I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. Many thanks to Autumn for the wardrobe ideas!

Carlotta awoke the next morning with the ringing of the telephone in her suite.

She stuck her hand out of her bed in an effort to answer the telephone but in her state of still being half-asleep, she succeeded only in knocking the telephone off her nightstand.

"Cazzo!" she yelled out. She finally managed to grab the phone receiver just as the person hung up.

"Cazzo!"

Her eyes glanced over the clock on her nightstand. 7:57. Almost eight. She sighed and swung her legs over the bed. Time to get up and go about her usual Saturday routine. She got up and walked over to her desk and sat down. Her calendar was open and she read over her schedule for the day: M/P-10; Photo Shoot-2; Tosca-6; Masquerade-10.

Masquerade? She had completely forgotten about the Christmas masquerade! The Opera gave a lush masquerade ball several times a year, and despite the usual New Year's masquerade which was to be held a week later, the managers had decided to throw a Christmas masquerade the Saturday before Christmas.

Carlotta looked at her timepiece again. After eight. She decided to get a move-on or she would never get everything finished in time.

The photo shoot had been wonderful, as had been the show. Her Tosca seemed only to improve with every performance. Carlotta hurried back to her dressing room after the how to get out of her costume and get into her attire for the masquerade. She hurriedly took her wig off and dashed towards the couch where her white ball gown laid. The magnificent dress resembled a snowflake with its twinkling crystals, all hand-sewn.

She carefully removed her costume and donned the ball gown before starting to tear the pins out of her hair that were holding it up underneath the costume wig. Carlotta tossed her head forward and stuck a hand on her vanity table in search for a brush. What her hand instead landed on was unmistakably a gift-ribbon.

Carlotta snapped her head right-side up and grabbed for the envelope and tore it open.

_My dearest Lotta,_

_I am pleased that you seem to have taken my advice to heart._

_It will not be long before we are together, and I promise, I will_

_never leave you._

_Here's something that you can wear with your outfit_

_for the masquerade tonight. _

_You will undoubtedly look like an angel._

_Til then,_

_Your Secret Admirer_

Her hands trembled nervously as the opened the package. When her hands finally stopped shaking long enough to open the box, she pulled out a few diamond and crystal dragonfly hairpins.

"Oh, Baldo!" she whispered. "Oh, they're so beautiful!"

Carlotta quickly brushed her hair and set the dragonflies in. They sparkled wildly and she couldn't stop admiring them in the mirror. She finally pulled herself away from the mirror long enough to dab on some of her new perfume, put on her new earrings, and grab her new mink coat before heading out the door. As she left, she spotted Yvette and Ubaldo arm in arm further down the hall on their way to the masquerade.

She instantly felt tears once again prickling the back of her eyes, but she was determined to have a good time at this masquerade even if it killed her.

_I will not think about Ubaldo_, she told herself, but at the same time, she could not help but wonder: how could these magnificent gifts be from Ubaldo? He was clearly involved with the ballet tart; yet last night she had been told that appearances were deceiving.

She observed as Yvette planted a big kiss on Ubaldo's lips. That didn't seem deceptive at all to Carlotta. She quickly turned her face away and made her way to the masquerade.

Within minutes of her arrival, she found that she was miserable. Countless people who were praising her work and her glorious performances as Tosca approached her, yet she felt completely alone. She was exhausted from the day and had just made up her mind to leave the ball and return to her suite when she felt two hands slip around her waist.

"Surprise", said the voice. "You weren't planning on leaving just yet, were you?"

Carlotta whipped herself around and found herself face to face with Santa Claus. Hey eyes widened at the red velvet suit and long white beard.

"It _is_ a masquerade, Signora, is it not?"

Carlotta nodded.

The stranger was still holding Carlotta by the waist, and their eyes met. He had such beautiful brown eyes… deep with passion and emotion, brimming with hunger for life and love. She could lose herself just in his eyes.  
Slowly, the stranger drew her in closer until their noses were only centimeters apart. When he kissed her, Carlotta suddenly felt weak at the knees. She wrapped her arms around him and their kiss deepened. Neither party wanted to break their embrace, and so they remained kissing for what seemed to be an eternity. They stopped only when Yvette, drunk as could be, stumbled into them, causing Carlotta to stumble.

"Fat ugly toad!" she spat at Carlotta. "Even in white you're still a toad!"

Yvette spun herself around and kept on going until she had left the party. The stranger once again took Carlotta by the waist.

"Shall we dance then, Signora?"

Carlotta smiled at her mysterious lover and graciously accepted his invitation. They danced in each other's arms until three in the morning, when they went for a moonlight stroll in the gardens. Halfway through their walk, Carlotta thought she spotted Yvette's body moving on top of another on one of the benches, her light blue dress in a crumpled pile on the floor.

Sensing her momentary distress, her secret Santa swept Carlotta off her feet and kissed her with more passion than she had ever been kissed. The couple ended up on a bench as well, kissing each other as if there were no tomorrow and as if nothing else or no one else mattered.

All right, so maybe Yvette had Ubaldo and there was nothing that she could do about it… but she had her admirer. She had found someone who truly loved her, and she knew deep in her heart that she loved him back. She was no longer alone. Carlotta had found the love of her life.


	11. The Tenth Day of Christmas

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either; I just really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I'm going through another "Scarlet Pimpernel" phase right now, so more lyrics from that show might pop up here… oh, right, and I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions.

This chapter will be from the point of view of the Secret Admirer…

Many thanks to my faithful reviewers!

There was no show on the Sunday following the Christmas masquerade, and good thing too, because he was exhausted. The past few days had really taken a lot out of him and he had stayed at the ball far later than he had planned. Oh, but it was Carlotta, he rationalized with himself, and if it was for Carlotta, it was all right.

He checked the clock on his mantle. Three in the afternoon. What could Carlotta be doing? There was no show that evening and Christmas was only two days away, so perhaps she was out shopping? Yes, he decided, she was out shopping.

With movements that were swift yet elegant, he went over to his desk and picked up the next gift that he was going to present to Carlotta. He quickly wrote a card and placed it under the ribbon of the package, and set off to find Carlotta's dressing room.

He knocked on the door and there came no response. Good – she was out. He turned the doorknob and cheered inwardly; Carlotta had left it unlocked, and he wouldn't need to pick the lock. Stepping inside and making sure to lock the door behind him, he breathed in the sweet aroma of the perfume that he had given her the day before last. Her ball gown from the previous evening lay once again on the couch, just as it had lain yesterday before the masquerade.

The dragonflies lay on her vanity in a neat little pile next to her earrings; she had looked so radiant in them. He walked up to the vanity and set the package down, and as he did, something caught his eye. The journal that he had given her on the first day lay wide open, and there was a sentence jumping out at him: _Seeing Yvette in the garden last night is more than my weak heart can handle. I have a new love, yes, but just the thought of her with my Ubaldo, let alone the sight… it is too much for my weak heart; it weakens more and more with every thought, and try as I might, I fail to drive my love for Ubaldo from my heart. It is an impossible task; I now understand why so many heroines take their lives rather than endure this suffering; it is a fate far les painful. _

He looked up from the open journal and stared back at his reflection in the mirror. _My Ubaldo_ she had written. _My Ubaldo_. _My love for Ubaldo._

Now he was sure of it, and any and all doubts were erased from his mind. He looked away from his reflection, his mind now flooded with thoughts. He turned to leave, and the elegance and grace with which he had entered the dressing room abandoned him as he bumped into a chair. _My Ubaldo… my Ubaldo_. The words continued to echo in his mind as found his way to the door and out to the corridor.

_I fail to drive my love for Ubaldo from my heart._ The words rang wildly in his ears as he walked through the Opera House. People called out to him as they passed him, but he did not hear them. All he could think about was that journal and the revelation contained therein.


	12. Eleventh Day of Christmas

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either; I just really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I'm going through another "Scarlet Pimpernel" phase right now, so more lyrics from that show might pop up here… oh, right, and I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions.

Many thanks to my faithful reviewers! One of you gave me such a good idea with your review of Chapter 11! (If I didn't already have the rest of the story planned out I'd totally switch gears and do that…)

When Carlotta returned to the Opera House late that evening, her hands were loaded with presents. She had spent the entire day Christmas shopping and was still only half finished. As she went to drop her bags off in her suite, she noticed two notes taped on her door. She put her purchases inside and returned to the door to grab the notes.

_Signora,_

_There is a matter of utmost importance that M. Andre and I_

_need to speak to you about; please come to our office upon receipt of this_

_note. _

_M. Firmin_

She sighed and took the other note off her door.

_Lotta,_

_I need to speak to you. It's about Lucio. I'm frightfully worried._

_Please come to my house as soon as you get this. No need to call, just come._

_I will be waiting._

_Carmen_

Carlotta grabbed her purse and the two notes and locked the door behind her as she left. It was ten o'clock at night. She doubted that the managers would be in their office at this hour of the night, but she nonetheless went to their office. Just as she suspected, they were not there, so she grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote a note back to them:

_Monsieurs,_

_I apologize that I did not receive your note until ten o'clock of this evening. I am simultaneously being summoned on personal business; I do not know what time I will return, but I will return before tomorrow's performance. I trust we can speak then._

_Carlotta Giudicelli_

She taped the door on the door of the managers' office and headed out of the Opera House to Carmen's. As soon as she stepped outside, it hit her that she would do well to call for a cab, but it was late enough as it was and Carmen had waited long enough. Hoping that she would be all right, she made her way hurriedly down the street and around the corner to Carmen's apartment building.

She made her way inside the building and up the flight up stairs to Carmen's apartment and knocked on the door loudly.

"Carmen? Carmen open up, it's Carlotta, I just got your message!"

A neighbor swung his door open and stuck his head out.

"You mind keepin' it down, lady? It's 10:30 at night!"

"I'm sorry sir", she said coldly as she continued to knock on the door.

Carmen finally opened it and let her in. She had bags under her eyes and her hair and clothes were a rumpled mess. Her lip was swollen and she had bruises on her face.

"Carmen, what happened!" exclaimed Carlotta as she walked into the apartment.

"He attacked me… he came after me today and attacked me!"

"What!"

Carlotta let Carmen to the couch.

"I was doing things around the apartment… setting up my Christmas tree and whatnot, when I heard the front door slam and he came barging in yelling about how I had betrayed him and how I knew where you were and how we was going to kill you but he would kill me first for betraying him… and then he attacked me! He just threw himself on me and I screamed and tried to fight him off and finally a neighbor heard me screaming and came in and pried him off, but he ran away before we could catch him! I went to the Opera House to warn you but you weren't there so I just left that note on your door!"

Carmen burst into tears and Carlotta held her as she cried.

"Carmen, please told me that you called the police…"

Carmen continued to cry.

"You haven't called the police! Carmen, you need to call the police! I'm going to call them right now!"

"No! He'll only come back and kill us both!"

"Not if he's caught and thrown in jail, he won't!"

Carlotta called the police department and made Carmen some tea. She finally settled Carmen down and got her to sleep and then decided that there was no way that she was leaving Carmen alone; she would spend the night at the apartment and take her back to the Opera House tomorrow.

After securing the front door, she grabbed a blanket from the linen closet and went to sleep on the couch.

The following morning, she awoke to a horrible pounding on the door.

"OPEN UP, YA DUMB COOZE! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"

She bolted straight up in the couch. She knew that voice too well.

"OPEN UP, DAMMIT!"

Carlotta looked around the room for something to defend herself with. Carmen wasn't coming out of her bedroom for some reason, so she was all alone. She grabbed some oven mitts and a bucket from the kitchen and went over to the fireplace. She grabbed the hot embers out of the fireplace and threw them in the bucket; if he came in, she would be prepared.

Just as she finished with the coals, Lucio broke down the door, sending splinters everywhere. He was carrying a knife.

As soon as he saw Carlotta, he let out a mighty roar and hurled himself at her, raising the knife in an effort to stab her. He succeeded in stabbing her in the arm, but not before Carlotta flung the contents of the bucket in his face.

What followed then was by the far the worst sound Carlotta had ever heard in her entire life. It was a combination of anger and pain. Lucio dropped the knife and backed off, hitting the wall and falling to the ground. Carlotta could see the embers burning the flesh off his face and she watched in horror as blood trickled down his face and onto the floor.

Carmen chose that moment to walk out of her bedroom and upon doing so proceeded to scream bloody murder. Lucio managed to stand himself back up while tearing at his face with his hands. He stumbled out of the apartment and was gone just as soon as he came.

The two women were paralyzed with fear.

"You… you… what did you do to him!", shrieked Carmen.

"I threw embers at him… it was the only thing I could think of, and, well, it worked, didn't it?"

Carmen was silent.

"Come on… we're not staying here a moment longer. We're going back to the Opera House… you'll be safe there."

Carlotta called a cab while Carmen gathered up some essentials, and within twenty minutes, they were out the door and on their way to the Opera Populaire. They burst through the front door and quickly made their way to Carlotta's suite. The place was a mess littered with shopping bags and gift-wrap. Had she really left such a grand mess?

Now wasn't the time to fuss about the mess. Carlotta settled Carmen and called the police to inform them of what had happened. They agreed to be at the Opera House within the hour. Now all they could do was wait.

Realizing that it was Christmas Eve and that she ought to change, Carlotta opened the door to her dressing room. She knew she had a red velvet dress in her dressing room. She found her dress and was just about to leave when she saw not one, but two packages on her vanity table.

Carlotta could not decide which card was better. The card with the first gift was short, but sweet and direct to the point:

_Cara mia:_

_Magical evening, no?_

The second card left her heart hanging on the edge of a cliff.

_Mio amore:_

_Meet me in the gardens at midnight._

_Until then I shall count the seconds._

Inside the first package there lay a brand new purple dress, and inside the other, the most beautiful and exquisitely expensive diamond bracelet that Carlotta had ever laid her eyes on.


	13. The Twelfth Day of Christmas Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either; I just really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I'm going through another "Scarlet Pimpernel" phase right now, so more lyrics from that show might pop up here… oh, right, and I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions.

OperaDove: You've got most of it figured out, and yes, it's definitely before the original story… you'll see. :-D

Mouse: You sure about that? Hehe. Appearances can be deceiving…

Note: this final part of the story will most likely end up being dived into several parts.

Many thanks to my faithful reviewers! And now, the conclusion of this story! (Or the beginning of the conclusion anyway.)

Carlotta spent the remainder of the day on edge. The police came, as promised, within the hour of her phone call, and was thoroughly interrogated on the events that had occurred that morning. As soon as the police had left, she made her way to the managers' office to find out what they wanted. She was sure she was going to be reprimanded smacking Yvette.

As it turned out, Andre and Firmin just wanted to go over her current contract with them which involved _La Boheme, Il Trovatore_, and _La Gioconda_ in addition to her _Tosca_, and sign her for an unlimited period of time; with her success in _Tosca_, they wanted to ensure that she would not sign with anyone else and that she would remain at the Opera Populaire to sing leading roles in their upcoming productions of _Madama Butterfly_, _Turandot, I Pagliacci_, _Le Nozze de Figaro, La Traviata_, _I Puritani, Norma_, _Macbeth, Carmen_ (though it would be a true stretch for her soprano pipes), _La Sonnambula_, _Medea_, and a new production that was being written exclusively for her – _Hannibal_. As soon as they assured her that all of those productions would be spread out within a period of at _least_ two years, she signed.

Between her attack that morning and the interrogation with the police and the meeting with the managers, Carlotta was exhausted by the afternoon. Oh, how was she going to make it to midnight?

Carlotta returned to her rooms to find Carmen in much better condition than she had been that morning. She had also spoken to the police, and she felt confident that they would soon catch Lucio and put an end to his madness.

"How's that gash doing?", she asked as soon as Carlotta returned.

"It burns."

Carlotta had not realized that Lucio had stuck her with the knife until she was putting on her new purple dress and found her left arm caked with blood. Carmen had dressed the wound up and Carlotta was thankful that the dress's long sleeves concealed it in its entirety.

"Come here, let me see it…"

Carlotta went over to Carmen and sat down on the bed. Within seconds, Carmen had taken off Carlotta's sleeve and began changing the dressing on the cut.

"You should really go see a doctor about this, Lotta… it's pretty deep…"

"What, and have someone order me to stay in bed for the rest of the day? I have too much to do."

"So what did the managers want?"

"To make sure that I won't leave them now that I'm an even bigger star… I signed for twelve more productions, including one that Chalumeau is writing exclusively for me. I could really get used to this, you know."

"Lotta, you're _already _used to it".

"Oh. Right."

Carlotta laughed.

"It's quite nice, actually. They're going to work their season around my engagements at La Scala and Covent Garden, and I will also have a say in casting… this is quite to my advantage, you know… not that I have any objections to the principal tenor, of course, but I object to those horrid mezzos and basses that they often bring in. I can't stand half of them… ouch!"

"Sorry… you should really see a doctor about that…"

Carlotta snapped her arm back and fixed her dress.

"I told you, I'm busy".

She stood and stared at Carmen.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Carlotta walked over to the other side of the room.

"I have so much to do… you know, I haven't even finished my shopping… I should wrap these…"

Within minutes she was lost in her own little world as she went about wrapping presents and talking about them. Carmen stared at her in disbelief. How could she possibly be so cool after that morning?

"Carmen? Carmen, are you listening to me? I asked you what you thought of this silk scarf that I bought for Leonora."

Carmen continued to stare at Carlotta. She had known her since she was seven years old… she had always been like this. As much as it angered her, there was no point in trying to correct her behavior, she would never change. Perhaps this was just her way of panicking.

"It's fine, Carlotta. Here… I'll help you wrap".

She moved over to where Carlotta was.

"Thank you", said Carlotta.

Carmen nodded.

"You're welcome."

The two women spent the rest of the afternoon wrapping gifts and talking. Underneath everything, Carmen knew that Carlotta was just as frightened as she was, if not more. This was just her way.


	14. The Twelfth Day of Christmas Part II

Disclaimer: You've already read it thirteen times… on with part II!

Despite Carmen's help with her presents, Carlotta missed call by a half hour. The police presence that morning had set rumors one again flying through the Opera House, and when Carlotta was not in her dressing room an hour before the show, panic ensued.

She apologized profusely for her lateness and flew through her make-up application and costuming, before grabbing her journal. She admired the diamond bracelet on her wrist and set off in writing with great fervor that she did not hear the five minute call. In fact, she was so entranced in her writing (thoughts about the upcoming meeting with her mysterious lover) that she almost missed her first entrance. She arrived backstage with literally one minute to go before her entrance.

All through that night's show, she couldn't shake her secret admirer from her mind. When she proclaimed her love to Mario (and Ubaldo), he was on her mind; when she killed Scarpia for her lover, he was on her mind; when she killed herself, he was on her mind.

When the show was over, Carlotta hurried to her dressing room. It was 11:15. Had the show really taken that long? They had started late and the intermissions had run late. She sighed. 45 minutes to go.

As she sat in front of her mirror brushing out her long auburn locks, Carlotta wondered what midnight would bring her. In addition to dreaming that this man of her dreams was Ubaldo, she had also come to the realization that her admirer could be anyone from a chorus member to Joseph Buquet; for the sake of both her mental and physical health, she prayed that it wasn't Buquet.

Whoever it was, she was about to find out. Was she ready? After twelve long days of dreaming, was she really prepared to find out who had stolen her heart? She felt butterflies in her stomach as she stood up and walked around her dressing room.

11:55. Time to go.

She headed out the door and as soon as she turned to lock it, she had a horrible thought: what if he didn't show up? She stopped abruptly. Oh my God… what if he didn't show up? No, no, that was impossible… of course he'd show.

What if it was someone totally repulsive? What if it was a madman?

Carlotta tried to shake her mind of all negative thoughts as she made her way into the garden, She could hear the faint sounds of a string quarter in the background, and there were rose petals scattered on the floor. She followed the trail of petals until they led her to the center of the garden.

It was a beautiful December night, not too cold and with a gorgeous full moon. She stood there glancing up at the moon when she felt two familiar hands slip around her waist. She was about to turn around when she stopped herself: she had waited twelve days… she could wait a few seconds longer.

"Beautiful night, is it not, Signora?"

Carlotta smiled and her heart rejoiced as she let out a tiny giggle. She'd know that beautiful accent anywhere! She let her head relax on his chest and he immediately began to kiss her neck. Her breathing became erratic and she had to take in a breath through her mouth. She was in pure heaven.

Suddenly he stopped kissing her neck and Carlotta spun around.


	15. The Twelfth Day of Christmas Part III

Disclaimer: You've already read it fourteen times… on with part III!

"Ubaldo", she whispered.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close.

"I knew it was you! It had to be you!"

"I wasn't sure you would return my feelings."

"Oh, Baldo…"

Carlotta flung her arms around him and kissed him fervently. She finally broke their kiss.

"But… the presents… the masquerade…Yvette… how?"

Ubaldo smiled at her.

"When you were injured, I had Rodolfo deliver them… as far as the other go, you have a bad habit, my dear Lotta, of not locking your doors… it made slipping them in quite easy."

Carlotta laughed.

"I do to lock my doors…"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive"

"You stick the key in but you do not turn it."

Carlotta was stumped.

"Do I really?"

"Yes… your door was only locked once, and even then it was quite easy to pop it open, seeing as you had only locked the bottom lock."

Carlotta laughed.

"I'll have to be more careful."

Ubaldo laughed and gently stroked her face.

"As far as the masquerade goes, I'm an actor", he said hiding his distinctive Italian accent.

Carlotta laughed. So that was why she hadn't recognized him when he visited her in her dressing room and then later as Santa Claus!

"You're just full of wonderful surprises, aren't you?"

"There's one more, _cara mia_… Yvette was just a deception. In reality, Lotta, she is Marguerite's sister… she agreed to help me out in return for setting her up with Rodolfo."

"Rodolfo?"

"Yes… they got together on the night of the masquerade".

So she had been right… she _did_ see Yvette on a bench with someone!

"I apologize for the deception, and the pain I caused you, Carlotta… I thought--"

"I know what you thought, Ubaldo… and you were right. If I had not seen you with that woman…"

Her eyes suddenly widened.

"I owe her an apology…"

"Why?"

Carlotta told Ubaldo about the incident in the garden a few days earlier when she had hit the girl.

"I will apologize to her first thing in the morning".

Ubaldo laughed.

"What?"

"I can guarantee you that that is not the first thing that you will be doing tomorrow in the morning…"

Carlotta looked at him flirtatiously.

"What are you suggesting, Signor Piangi?"

"Not a thing, Signora Giudicelli… not a thing".

He smiled and stared into her eyes. Once more, Carlotta found herself mesmerized by the power in his radiant brown eyes. His thick brown hair shone in the moonlight and he smelled of cologne. His touch was warm and gentle.

The couple once again melted into a deep and passionate kiss, and this time it was Ubaldo that broke the kiss.

"I almost forgot…"

He fumbled around in his pocket, pulled out the twelfth package, and popped the box open before holding it out to Carlotta.

"Merry Christmas, Carlotta".

Inside the box lay a diamond engagement ring.


	16. Epilogue

Disclaimer: You know.

Thank you so much to my faithful reviewers! Having you review my every chapter so quickly actually motivated me to write faster! This may be the final part of this particular story, but it is by far not the end of my stories about Carlotta and Ubaldo and the Opera Populaire! There's still the matter of Carmen…

"Will you marry me?'

"Ubaldo!"

"I mean it, Carlotta…"

Ubaldo got down on one knee.

"Will you be my wife?"

Carlotta felt herself start to cry.

"Of course I'll marry you, Ubaldo! Nothing would give me greater joy than to be your wife!"

And she meant it. At that moment, her entire career could be taken away, as could all of her wealth and riches, and she would not have cared. She had Ubaldo. She had the love of her life.

The following morning, when she awoke, Carlotta placed a kiss on Ubaldo's lips.

"I told you".


End file.
